Roller Coaster

To say my life these past two weeks has been on a roller coaster might just be the understatement of the year. In the span of the last two weeks we went back to school, lost one of K's aunts unexpectedly, found out we were finally pregnant, and lost that pregnancy. My heart is breaking right now in more than one direction.

K and I have been trying to conceive since I had a tubal ligation reversal surgery 2 1/2 years ago. I have gone through months and months of disappointment waiting to finally say, "Here comes #4!" Last week after waiting several days I finally broke down and took a test. In the back of my mind I thought I was late because of the stress of going back to school, but I was still hopeful that maybe, just maybe we were pregnant.

Let's just say you couldn't wipe the smile off my face when the test revealed itself with two beautiful dark little lines. I was overjoyed and shocked all at the same time. Cloud nine does not begin to describe the feelings coursing through my body. K said it figures that it would happen at this time of craziness in our financial lives. He figured I was pregnant before the test confirmed it.

I was dying to tell everyone. This had been wanted for so very long I wanted to tell anyone that would listen. K said we should wait for a bit to make sure things were okay. I conceded, but Thursday night he said why don't you just post it on Facebook. I knew I couldn't do that, but Friday morning I began telling my friends at school. There were hugs and tears. I couldn't shake the smile off my face.

K told his mom and dad Thursday night. His mom was already telling me about a crib she had seen at Costco. Big K said he was going to retire so he could babysit for us. K's mom J said, "No, the baby will live with us and they can come visit everyday." Joy was in all of our hearts.

Saturday started out great. I was sewing and getting things we had saved from the boys out of storage. The washing machine, sewing machine, and my hands were busy busy. Then my world came to a screeching halt. Spotting started. I literally looked up to heaven and said please don't take this away from me.

Panic filled my heart. I looked it up and found out it was not uncommon to spot, but my heart was worried anyway. Sunday continued and Monday the same. I called my OB's office and was told to go into the ER, since Dr. wasn't in the office that afternoon. The ER worked quickly to get labs and ultrasounds completed, but it took 4 1/2 hours to tell me what I already pretty much knew. I had lost this pregnancy. I was devastated, but didn't cry until I got back out to the car to call K.

Almost as quickly as it began, it was over. I don't know why things happen the way they do and I guess I never will. The old saying, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger" keeps racing through my mind. I know we are never given more than we can handle, but seriously somebody up there thinks I can bear an awful lot!

I was embraced and surrounded by love from people all around me as I gave the news. People I work with that I am not necessarily close to came up to me with support and words of encouragement. I never realized how much the people around me care about my well being. It has helped my heart begin to heal more than they will ever know.

So today as my life is being redefined I am encouraged that hope and love are the best cures for any heartache you may feel. I have joined a band of mamas I never really wanted to, but I will be stronger because of it. My love for my husband, my boys, and the people that make the fabric of my life is stronger than ever. I have hope for a chance to carry another little one in my arms and no one can take that from me.

Being reminded of the power of faith, hope, and love is a finer thing indeed.

Still full of hope,


This post is linked to Finer Things Friday at Amy's Finer Things

Menu Plan for the Week 8-22-10

I survived my first week back in the classroom. All I can say is I have my work cut out for me! My kiddos are not quite at grade level, so we will be doing a lot of work these first few weeks of school. I know what I do works, but it is daunting none the less!

The boys are doing great! Z is still loving middle school. L is liking 4th grade, but he is not happy about the return of homework. It's pretty funny actually! N is happy to be back at school with his buddies!

Here is what we have planned to eat for this week:

Breakfasts: Cereal, Oatmeal, Biscuits, Muffins, Pancakes, French Toast, Waffles, Fruit

Lunches: Ham or PB & J Sandwiches, Meat and Crackers, Leftovers, Fruit or Veggies, String Cheese, Hard Boiled Eggs, Granola Bars, Fruit Leather, Homemade Chewy Bars

Dinners:

Sunday- Homemade Chinese~ Lemon Chicken, Steamed Rice, Broccoli

Monday- Breakfast for Dinner

Tuesday- BBQ Chicken Breast and Cube Steak, Red Potatoes, Asparagus

Wednesday- Nachos

Thursday- Pasta with Asparagus Sauce, Salad, Buttered Bread

Friday- Pizza, Salad

Saturday-Kielbasa Sausage, Ranch Potatoes, Salad


Find more menu planning inspiration at Organizing Junkie.


Until next time,

Virtual Baby Shower

My friend Amy (can you guess how we became friends?? Yup, she's an Amy Lynne too!) over at Amy's Finer Things is expecting baby number 4! Donielle over at Naturally Knocked Up is hosting a virtual baby shower for our friend! Every day next week there will be a giveaway for some fabulous gear! The best part is Amy gets one of each of the giveaway products too! So join all of the bloggy friends as we celebrate this new little one!

Until next time,

Menu Plan for the Week 8-15-10

Wow! I cannot believe I am about to start another school year. I am ready and hopeful for a great year.

The boys' first week of school went great! They really like their teachers and Z is digging middle school so far. They are excited about their year, so I am one happy mama!

Since it is my first week back in the classroom I made the meals pretty simple. These are all meals we can get together quickly and not be tempted to run out and grab something to eat. K actually got a little sick last week when he ate some fast food. I guess his body is not happy unless it's eating real food! I know I can tell a difference in eating right and not eating right!

Here is what we have planned to eat for this week:

Breakfasts: Cereal, Oatmeal, Biscuits, Muffins, Pancakes, French Toast, Waffles, Fruit

Lunches: Ham or PB & J Sandwiches, Meat and Crackers, Leftovers, Fruit or Veggies, String Cheese, Hard Boiled Eggs, Granola Bars, Fruit Leather, Homemade Chewy Bars

Dinners:

Sunday- Beef Kielbasa, Corn on the Cob, Salad

Monday- Fajitas, Onions, Peppers, Refried Beans

Tuesday- Spaghetti, Italian Sausage, Buttered Bread

Wednesday- Pulled Pork(freezer), Corn, Salad

Thursday-Hot Dogs, Creamy Mac and Cheese, Salad

Friday- Pizza, Salad, Root Beer, Homemade Ice Cream

Saturday-Fettuccine Alfredo, Buttered Bread, Salad


Find more menu planning inspiration at Organizing Junkie.


Until next time,

Friends

We had the pleasure of seeing one of my dearest friends this weekend. She has been in my life for 12 years, back when I hired her to work in a retail store I helped manage. We have seen a lot of changes in our lives during this journey. She is someone I can call to chat, to vent, or to laugh.

We are also in similar places in our journey to make healthy eating a priority in our family. It is so nice to have someone who understands about real foods and why paying extra for them is worth it. We were visiting while we were preparing dinner and she asked me if people look at me funny when I talk about how I feed my family. Why, yes they do! It is so funny to share the same experiences in totally different parts of the state.

Her journey to health and fitness has helped my family to be more aware of what we are eating. Her family has built a wonderful fitness boot camp down in the Los Angeles area called Extreme Burn. They help their clients not only learn how to exercise, but learn how to make lifestyle changes in their diets as well. I love talking to them about the people they have helped. It truly is a calling for them!

Our lives are forever intertwined. I am so grateful for her and her beautiful little family. Her daughter is my Goddaughter and her man is my husband's computer-speak buddy. It is so much fun to have them all visit! We have great conversations and learn a lot from each other. I wish they lived closer, but having them stop and visit us when they travel will have to do. I look forward to those visits very much! I can't wait for the next one!

Good friends are definitely something I am grateful for in my life! Join Laura at Heavenly Homemakers for more Gratituesday!

Until next time,

Freezer Cooking

Just a quick update to my goals for building my freezer stash of breakfast foods for our busy school mornings. This morning in about 3 1/2 hours I was able to make 49 pancakes, 32 waffles, 45 pieces of french toast using my homemade wheat bread and get the kitchen completely cleaned (it was a wonderful lesson to be taught by my mom to clean as you go!). It feels so good to be able to check that off my list of things to get done before I head back to school!

So, in my freezer I have banana muffins, mini banana loaves, 1 loaf of strawberry bread, 1 loaf of banana bread, strawberry muffins, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, and french toast. I usually just take out a bag of muffins in the morning when I get up and they are defrosted by the time the boys are ready for breakfast. The pancakes and french toast I reheat in the microwave for about 1 minute 45 seconds on 70% power. The waffles crisp back up in the toaster oven beautifully. I also use the ready cooked bacon from Costco for a little protein. I usually also have some sort of fruit. The boys aren't big eaters in the morning, so I save their fruit and veggie servings for lunch, snacks, and dinner.

I really want to also make some smoothies in the mornings to get some veggies and fruit in the boys as they start their day. I always worry about the blender waking K, so I don't get it out in the mornings very often. It's something I am hoping to change as we all get on the same schedule for school this year.

I hope everyone is having a productive Monday! I only have two more things on my "to do" list to get accomplished for today! Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time,

Menu Plan for the Week 8-8-10

We made it through a busy week and weekend! We all go back to school this week. I go back for meetings and classroom prep starting on Tuesday. All the boys start school on Thursday. It's going to be another busy week!

I still want to get some extra breakfast foods in the freezer, so I will be working on that Monday! I want to beef up our waffle, french toast, and pancake stash. Hopefully I'll be able to get a couple of batches of each put up. I might even get some cookies thrown in for good measure.

Here is what we have planned to eat for this week:

Breakfasts: Cereal, Oatmeal, Biscuits, Muffins, Pancakes, French Toast, Waffles, Fruit, Scones, Scrambled Omelets

Lunches: Ham or PB & J Sandwiches, Meat and Crackers, Leftovers, Fruit or Veggies, String Cheese, Hard Boiled Eggs, Granola Bars, Fruit Leather, Homemade Chewy Bars

Dinners:

Sunday- Leftovers~ Clear out the fridge!

Monday- Breakfast for Dinner

Tuesday- Pork Country Ribs, Corn on the Cob, Salad

Wednesday- Tacos, Refried Beans, Spanish Rice, Salad

Thursday- Deli Sandwiches, Potato Salad

Friday- Pizza, Salad, Root Beer, Homemade Ice Cream

Saturday-BBQ Chicken & Tri Tip, Corn on the Cob, Grilled Zucchini


Find more menu planning inspiration at Organizing Junkie.


Until next time,

My Life in Pictures

I've been a busy lady the last few days. I guess I am always busy, but it's always more intense as my summer vacation comes to a close. I thought I'd share what I've been up to in pictures. I hope you enjoy a little peek of the projects I've been working on around here!

We've been painting.
We've been painting A LOT!!
Two bedrooms and a whole bunch of furniture!

Trim up next on the paint schedule.
It's going around a great animal map I found at Costco for the little boys' room.

The baby cubbie, otherwise known as the stuffed animals catch all.
It is being painted a bright green accent color for the little boys' room.


My loves! These babies have seen a lot of me this summer.
I hope it keeps up when school starts!

Organizing my sewing cabinet.
It is so nice to have everything in one location again!!

Our crafting cabinet.
I finally found plastic shoe boxes that weren't neon colors!
Now the boys and I can grab our supplies with ease!!

I'm working on some art projects for all 3 of the boys.
I'll do a reveal when I get it all finished.
My goal is to have it done tomorrow. We'll see...


I made homemade laundry detergent. It smells so good!
I can't wait to run out of the store bought stuff.
The best part...it cost less than $5 to make that 5 gallon bucket!!
Happy Frugal Dance!!!


Pencils for my classroom along with about a million other supplies I buy. Geesh!
Oh well, it's better to get a lot now than to have to pay regular prices in the middle of the year!


My teacher bag loaded with a new plan book and grade book.
It's ready, but I don't know if I am...

I hope you liked the peek into my life right now. I've also been feeding my kids and washing clothes in case you were worried. Hehehe... Ahhh, the joys of a busy mind with lots of projects floating around! I guess it's what works for me these days!! Joining up with everyone else at Works for me Wednesday!

Until next time,

Menu Plan for the Week 8-1-10

It has been a busy week around here! We finished painting the boys' bedrooms and they turned out awesome!! I love the lighter colors, it really makes their rooms seem bigger. K and I had a pretty good system for painting so we were done with each room in about 1/2 a day. It is so nice to see their rooms looking so polished. Now we just have to get some finishing touches figured out and the rooms will be finished!!

This will be our last full week off before school starts. I am not too sure how I feel about that idea. I love being home with the boys, so school starting is a hard time for me. Hopefully when K finishes school I will be able to be a SAHM. In the mean time I will be in my classroom a bit this week getting it set back up. That is going to be a big job this year, but hopefully I can knock it out quickly!!

Z has a social and an orientation at the middle school this week. I hope he continues to do well and make new friends. Seventh grade should be really good for him! L and N are about ready for school to start. I think L is excited about 4th grade. We were already looking at supplies for his mission project in the spring. N is totally ready for 3rd grade. I listen to him read and he is becoming more and more fluent every day!! I am such a lucky lady to be surrounded by these silly men in my house.

I am hoping to have a productive week at home and in my classroom. Trying to get back into teacher mode is always an interesting process for me. I know it will be fine, I just have to get my head in the game. It's all about attitude!!

Here is what we have planned to eat for this week:

Breakfasts: Cereal, Oatmeal, Biscuits, Muffins, Pancakes, French Toast, Waffles, Fruit, Scones, Scrambled Omelets, Frittata (I will be working on really stocking up the freezer this week!)

Lunches: Ham or PB & J Sandwiches, Meat and Crackers, Leftovers, Fruit or Veggies, String Cheese, Hard Boiled Eggs, Granola Bars, Fruit Leather, Homemade Chewy Bars

Dinners:

Sunday- Beef Kabobs ~ Onions, Bell Peppers, Zucchini

Monday- Salad Bar~ Lettuce Mix, Cubed Chicken, Hard Boiled Eggs, Cheese, Raisins, Sunflower Seeds, Croutons, and Dressings

Tuesday- Pasta Prima Vera, Buttered Bread, Salad

Wednesday- Sloppy Joes (freezer stash), Corn on the Cob

Thursday- Spaghetti, Italian Sausage, Buttered Bread

Friday- Pizza, Salad, Root Beer, Homemade Ice Cream

Saturday-Leftovers~ Clear out the fridge!


Find more menu planning inspiration at Organizing Junkie.


Until next time,